Lace and method of making same



April 9, 1957 J. A. GOLDBERG LACE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 1, 1954 a 1ml I v INVENTOR I Joimfl Goldberg ATTORNEY April 9, 1957 I J. A. GOLDBERG 2,787,934

LACE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME v Filed April 1, 1954 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTO R N EY I April 9, 1957 J. A. GOLDBERG LACE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME 3 Shets-Sheet 3 Filed April 1, 1954 INVENTOR o/mfl GOZdbQrg ATTORNE Y United States Patent() LACE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME John A. Goldberg, Massapequa, N. Y., assignor to Superior Lace Mills, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation Application April 1, 1954, Serial No. 420,281

Claims. (Cl. 87-4) This invention relates to machine made lace and a method of making the same automatically on a Leavers lace machine.

Broadly, it is an object of the invention to provide a machine made lace which has a cloth (fining) background as distinguished from lace with a net background.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a machine made lace with a cloth background, the pattern or design of which is embellished or decorated with a bourdon (margot) cord or thread simulating the appearance of a hand embroidered fabric rather than a lace.

Heretofore, machine made lace has been made primarily with four types of backgrounds, namely, hexagon net, Craquele net (an irregular shaped net having the outline of a coffin and sometimes termed coffin net), Valenciennes net (meshes of diamonds, round holes, square and hexagonal), and traverse Ensor net. Other attempts have been made by different methods to simulate hand embroidered and hand made lace with a cloth or fining background, such as taking a synthetic fabric, sheer fabric and then imprinting a design on the cloth by the use of a delustering chemical. The design is then accented by embroidering a bourdon cord (either by machine or hand) around the different design motifs employed to give it the appearance of a hand embroidered fabric. This method is diflicult, costly and produces inferior results.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine made lace made ona Leavers lace machine, said lace having a cloth background, the design motifs of which and the background of which may be formed of single, double, and triple weights of cloth to further enhance the design, in addition to the embellishment employing the use of a bourdon cord to simulate hand embroidered fabric rather than a lace.

Still another object is to employ a new machine method to accomplish the automatic production of a new type of lace referred to hereinbefore, at a cost much. less than hand embroidered lace and comparable to ordinary machine made lace. p

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference is had to the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. lis a schematic front view showing the essential parts of a Leavers lace machine. I

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same essential parts of the Leavers lace machine shown in Fig. l.

Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views of a bobbin and carriage, respectively.

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 illustrate the successive movements of the Jacquard on the Leavers lace machine.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a piece of my new lace show. ing portions of the design formed of-dilierent weights of lace, .thebourdon cord defining the pattern andthe cloth background.

2,787,934 Patented Apr. 9, 1957 In order to fullyunderstandthe method of producing my new lace on a Leavers lace machine, certain essential parts of the Leavers machine have been illustrated schematically and described hereinafter. Other parts have been mentioned but not illustrated since those skilled in the art are acquainted with the various parts of the Leavers machine. v

The fabric and ornamentation of the lace produced concurrently by the movements and intertwisting of two distinct sets of threads, the warp and beam threads 20 and the bobbin threads 21. The bobbins 22 swing like pendulums, through the 'warpthreads 20, always in the same path, and are guided in slots of combs 23. The steel bars 24, through which the warp threads 20 are threaded, are actuated by a Jacquard mechanism and may move either to the right or to the left; the direction and distance of bars 24 move being determined by the design or pattern.

After the bobbins 22, move from front to back, the bars 24 move, some to the right, and others to the left. The back point bar 25 moves up and compresses the twists of the previous motion, to form another piece of lace fabric. The porcupine roll 26 turns enough to make room for the newly formed lace and the front point bar 27 moves down into position for the next motion. The process is repeated, but the bobbins 22 move in reverse from back to front, the bars 24 move to the right and to the left, the front point bar 27 moves up compressing the twists to form more lace fabric, and porcupine roll 26 turns just enough to make room for the new bit of lace. The back point bar 25 moves down into position ready to compress the twists of the next motion into another bit of lace.

The machine comprises two parts, the portion where the lace is made and the Jacquard which governs the pattern.

The sley 28 runs the full length of the machine and is a wire screening which is rubbed with a mixture of soap and lampblack to fill the holes. It is then painted over with a solution of black varnish to impart hardness and durability, and pricked for the entering of the threads in accordance with the specification provided by the draftsman. The sley 28 is placed slightly to the left of the center of the width of the. machine, and the part pricked for a definite breadth is from 2" to 4" to the left of the position where that breadth is made by the threads in the machine. This displacement is to form an angle and causes the threads to rub against the left side of the holes in the bars 24 to prevent the threads from float ing in the holes, which would be the case if they worked perpendicularly from the sley 28.

The steel bars 24 are about the thickness of a piece of paper and are separated from each other by a thin metal guide or brass" which renders their free action more certain. Steel bars 24 are perforated with small holes 29 at intervals of two or four gaits to hold the threads, the two gaits being called half bars and the four gaits, quarter bars. Bars 24 extend through the length of the machine and beyond at each end. At the left side of the machine bars 24 are attached to individual spiral springs, held to the metal frame, and at the right side bars 24 extend a distance equal to two-thirds of the length of the machine and are joined to the Jacquard. Between the machine and the Jacquard, bars 24 are spread out in the shape of a fan and pass through an upright brass bar, which holds them in position, before they are hooked to the draw-bits of the Jacquard. Each bar 24 is threaded with warp or beam threads, passing vertically through the bars 24 into the space between two comb bars 23, and fastened to the work roller above. The function of bars24 is to deflect the warp or beam threads v 20, through the action of the lacquarmso that a bobbin 22 will pass on one side of a given thread and on its return movement on the other side, thus forming a twist. All the threads in any one individual bar act in the same manner throughout the whole width of the machine.

When the bars 24 are stopped they must place each thread between two carriages 30 and bobbins 22. In each groove of a comb lead 23 a carriage 30 holding a brass bobbin 22 works backward and forward. The warp and other threads in each gait have a separate bobbin or filling thread.

The tension given to the warp threads 20 is obtained enemas by a cord passed around a metal collar on the end of the beam. One end of this cord is" fastened to a stud fixed in the beam frame, and the other end is attached to a spiral spring having a hook attached at the other end; the hook is passed through a perforated metal plate. The screw is drawn up by a wing nut until the cord around the pulley at the end of the beam is tight enough to form a brake suflicient to produce the required tension on the warp threads carried on the beam.

The carriages are suspended, by the threads wound on the bobbins 22, from the work roller above, and catch bars fall into the nibs of all the carriages 30 on each side. There are two catch bars above the carriages 30, one at the'front and the other at the back of the warp threads 20. These catch bars have a to-and-fro.

and an up-and-down motion imparted to them. The

carriages 30, thus allowing the back catch bar to draw the carriages 30 up to their extremity. The comb bars 23 being placed exactly opposite to each other and, the carriages 30 being wide enough to bridge the space between, the carriages are entering the comb bar 23 on the back motion before they leave that on the front, and one or the other of the catch bars always holds, them as one does not release the carriages 30 until the other has them engaged. Thus. one catch bar conducts the carriage 30 through the warp threads 20 at each motion from one side and then returns them to the other catch bar which seizes them all simultaneously and conducts them back again to the other side of the warp threads 20.

The carriages 30 are, required to travel at their greatest speed as they pass the vertical line, and have a short period of repose at the extremities of their motion. This slight retardation where the machine is opened to its fullest extent is obtained through eliptical gearing so ar ranged that the slowest part of the motion coincides with the two dead points. This pause at these points gives time to enable the Jacquard. to actuate safely, and without shock to move the bars 24 holding the threads 20 in. their proper position. At the same time that the warp or beam threads 20 reach the extreme limit of 'their movement, the bobbins 22 and carriages 30 pass through with a movement at right angles to that of the warp threads 20, tying them firmly intoposition.

Above the carriages 30- are two long point. bars, one at the front and one at the back of the machine. These bars carry the point-leads,,which consist of pieces of metal, placed side by side, in which are placed needlelike points 1%" in length, the same number to an inch as the bobbin threads 21. After each motion a point bar is lowered,gthe points pass through the threads as soon as they are crossed, compress the. twists, lift and tin them firmly to the work which. is already finished. The point bars withdraw clear as soon as they have completed the operation, and resume positions to commence the same operation again and such movements are effected automatically.

Above the point bars are two rollers the length of the machine and as the lace is made, it is wrapped around the upper roller 31 which rests upon a lower one 26, which is covered with short metal points, and is known as a porcupine roll. Roller 26 holds the lace taut as it is produced after it has passed over a flat metal surface known as the facing bar. As roller 26 is turned by a toothed wheel at a regular and even pace, which does not alter until the wheel is changed, the speed at which the upper roller 31 is turned in the opposite direction by frictional contact with roller 26 is invariable, regardless of the number of layers of lace which are wound around it.

Variations in quality are obtained by means ofa series of toothed wheels, which turn the roller at a speed proportionate to the number of teeth in the circumference. Each alternate motion of the machine is recorded by a tooth. and pinion wheel, which indicates the number of racks of lace on the roller at any given time.

The warp. beams 39 are the length of the machine and are placed in slots in metal arms below and behind the sley 28. The smaller beams (independent beams) are placed behind the warp beams 39. The warp threads 20 pass to the sley 28, but the threads of the independent beams are passed through a metal beading or row of eyelets 40 of looped wire and then upward through the sley 28 in front of the warp threads 20. After those threads are passed up through the sley 28 the warp and beam threads 20 are then entered through the steel bars 24 which are above the sley 28 and which are supported by brackets.

My new lace, with the fabric or fining (as indicated on Fig. 9 by the letters A, B and C, respectively), background of single, double or triple weights of cloths is made by throwing the warp and beam yarns 2, 3 and 4 gaits from the. warp beams in accordance with the hereinbefore described parts and actions. It will be seen that by varying the weights of portions of the lace or cloth to a greater or lesser degree, a difference in tone is achieved so that different. designs can be readily made by thus varying the weights of predetermined portions of the lace. Such areas of different tone or weight of clothis. bounded by a. bourdon cord to accentuate the design or pattern and since the background of the lace is made as a, cloth or fining, the resultant lace gives the appearance of a hand embroidered fabric in contradistinction to a lace.

Of course, the design or pattern of the new lace can be varied in infinite shapes and patterns by the use of the Jacquard mechanism connected to the machine by a center steel shaft fitted with two or three wheels in front of the machine by which the twistband can obtain leverage to start and stop the machine. This center shaft extends the entire length of the machine including the steel bars at the right hand of the machine, until at its point of'contact with. the. Jacquard, a cogwheel on the shaft engages with another cogwheel attached to the Jacquard. These cogs are so adjusted that the motion of the machine synchronizes with the motion of the Jacquard. Therefore, when the front motion of the Jacquard has placed the threads. in position, through its action on the bars 24, the carriages 30 pass through on the front motion. and the front point bar 27takes up the twists which'have been made and vice versa.

The Jacquard has two cylinders 32 with seven droppers 33 to a bar and is dilferent from Iacquards applied to ordinary looms in which-the warp threads 20 are moved up or down and always the same distance. The Jacquard used in this method moves the warp threads 20 to the tight. or to. the. left any number of gaits from one to Two metal plates cross the top of the Jacquard and are grooved with as many independent slots as there are available spaces for bars in the Jacquard. In each of the grooves is placed a metal plate or bar box. These bar boxes are attached to and control the steel bars 24. When the driving blade 34 moves forward it clamps the dropper 33 between the bar box and the driving blade. Since the bar box is attached to the steel bars 24 which contain threads, they will be moved forward for a distance equal to the thickness of the dropper. When the driving blade 34 is moved backward it releases the dropper.

Beneath the boxes are two hexagonal cylinders 32, each cylinder being the width of the Jacquard, one placed at the front and the other at the back. These are rotated alternately one sixth of a complete revolution,

and so alternately control the two sets of droppers 33 of the front and back motions. These cylinders 32 are pierced from end to end, on each. face, with seven rows of holes equally spaced. Above each cylinder are two brass plates 38. The upper one is perforated with square holes and the lower one with round holes which correspond exactly with those in the cylinder. Above these plates are the boxes containing droppers 33, which are held separately and in a definite order in the brass plates which support them vertically, each with its head below the level of the driving blade 34.

A dropper 33 is a steel pin about ten inches long with an enlarged head; droppers are of six sizes, each head being equal in size to a specified number of gaits. The first, known as the dummy, is longer than the others and is always working, since it is upon its upper part that the other droppers are bedded when raised; the lower part carries an enlargement equal to half the distance between two carriages 30 and is known as the half gait. It is used in long throws to insure the thread being carried to its required level. The next dropper is equal in thickness to one gait, and the next to two, the next to four, the next to eight, each, and the last, sometimes to eight, sometimes to sixteen gaits. Beginning with the two gait, each of these droppers is grooved at its lower edge in order to bury any of the droppers in front of it which may not be raised. The exception to this is the second eight gait dropper which is different in shape because it never has to bury another dropper and never works except in conjunction with the first eight immediately in front of it. The sixteen gait, when used, must bury the second eight only and such other droppers as are not raised in front of the first eight gait.

The cards 35 of the pattern are passed over the cylinder and work in an endless chain. Each cylinder 32 has an up-and-down motion imparted to it, each card 35 lies temporarily upon the upper flat side, and when the cylinder rises, its surface is replaced at each motion by the surface of a card presenting either holes or plain space, which is pressed against the lower brass plate, and the vertically placed droppers are raised by the portion of the card not punched out, which can be arranged so that they may present any combination of numbers to place the threads in the lace as required by the arrangement of the draft. If the space under the dropper is punched, the dropper pin 36 falls through the hole into the hollow cylinder and is out of action. The heads of droppers 33 which are raised, are raised into the bar box and when the driving blade 34 moves forward, the front movable part will be moved forward to the extent of the sum of the size of the dropper heads so trapped.

Therefore, the bar 24 will be deflected and the threads 20 will be moved laterally throughout the length of the lace machine to the right or to the left, according to the number of droppers 33 entrapped. If the one, two and four gait droppers are raised, the bar will rise or move to the right, seven gaits above the dead-stop (that is, the lowest position of the bar). If at the next motion the four gait dropper alone is required, the spring 37 at the left of the machine draws the bar back again, so that the thread will stand four gaits above dead-stop, and when the droppers 33 in one motion fall after carrying out their work, the bar has already been controlled by the droppers of the other motions. Therefore, the threads do not sink to dead-stop and are not required to return from that place to their new position. A bar rarely throws more than ten gaits at once. It is while the carriages are at the extreme limit of their motion that the Jacquard moves the bars 24 to the prearranged positions for each motion of the pattern. When the threads have reached the extremities of their movements, the carriages 30 pass through to the opposite limit of their motion, the threads 20 are tied in, and the point bars take up the lace which has been completed.

After each motion a point bar is lowered, the points pass through the threads as soon as they are crossed, compress the twists, and lift and fix them firmly to the work which is already finished; the point bars withdraw clear as soon as they have completed the operation and resume positions to repeat the same operations. These movements are eflected automatically. Thus, all the parts of the machine operate in perfect accord with, and in some instances, under control of the Jacquard, which controls all the movements of the threads in the process of making the pattern. The threads in each bar move independently, but coordinating with the movements of other bars. T

In my method, single, double and triple weights or cloth are achieved by throwing threads 2, 3 and 4 gaits from the beams.

The cylinders 32 repeat the operation alternately, of presenting a card 35 to the surface of the dropper plate 38, so that the spaces between the driving blades 34 and the front of the boxes are served alternately also, and the whole series of cards 35 is brought successively in contact with the lower brass plate 38, time after time. Thus, the Jacquard expresses the pattern by actuating the thread-controlling devices of the machine and it is by modification of the lateral movement of the threads 20 that the varieties of patterns are produced. The threads 20 in the bars 24 are worked in a predetermined fashion and produce an enlacement of warp 20 and bobbin threads 21 by the impulse communicated to the warp threads 20 by the Jacquard. In a manner, the draft is active and compels the threads to pass into such positions as are necessary to reproduce the original design with all the artistic touches which have been added to it.

After the lace is completed, it is inspected and any broken threads or damages are mended. The lace is then soaked overnight in a solution of soap and graphite remover to loosen all dirt. The lace is then scoured in hot soapy water in a large wooden tub in which large wooden hammers pound the lace to remove the dirt while the tub is rotating. Other methods of washing may be used.

The lace is then bleached after washing and scouring and is done in a solution of hyperchloride of lime followed by an acid bath. The lace is then washed and blueing is added if the lace is not to be dyed. The blue ing neutralizes the yellow tinge which remains in the fabric. moved by the action of a whirling perforated tub and the lace is left in a damp dry condition.

If the lace is dyed, the fabric is rinsed in clear water to remove all excess dyestuff. After rinsing, the excess water is extracted.

After bleaching or dyeing, the fabric is run through a starch mangle where a thin starch paste is applied. Squeeze rolls remove the surplus starch solution.

The lace is then dressed or tentered to bring it to the proper or desired shape and to stiffen the fabric to pre vent collapse when the lace is taken from the frame so that the design will be symmetrical and not distorted.

If the lace is not dyed, the excess water is re Af er the lace is dried, a wooden frame, called a "folder is laid across one end of the web. The folder is turned .until the lace web is all wound on it:and is then subjected to about 110 F. to completely stretch and dry it,

Since lace is made in a number of bands, it is necessary to separate the lace web into single lace breadths by removing the lacer threads which join all the bands. This is done by hand permitting the breadths or bands to fall apart. These bands may also be separated by a known acetone process by using acetate rayon lacer threads to join the individual breadths.

One method of finishing, cleaning, scouring, bleaching, dyeing, etc., the lace is hereinabove set forth, however, other methods well known in the art may be used.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a machine made lace omprising .a design motif, said lace having a fabric background, portions of .said lace design being formed of difierent weights of fining.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a machine made lace comprising .a design motif, said lace having a fabric background, portions of said lace design being formed of three different weights of fabric.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a machine made lace comprising a design motif, of three different weights of fabric, a bourdon cord defining different portions of said design motif, said lace having a fabric background.

4. The method of producing on a Leavers lace machine a patterned lace having sections of cloth of multiple weights and a cloth background, said multiple weights of cloth and said cloth background created by throwing the Warp and beam threads 2, 3 and 4 gaits from the warp beams.

5. The method .of producing on a Leavers lace machine a patterned lace having sections of cloth of single, double and triple weights and a cloth background, and a bourdon cord circumscribing the pattern of said lace, said weights of cloth, cloth background and bourdon cord being created by throwing the warp and beam threads 2, 3 and 4 gaits from the warp beams.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 797,067 Matitsch Aug. 15, 1905 851,404 Creassey Apr. 23, 1907 2,024,573 Goodley Dec. 17, 1935 2,164,749 Martin et al July 4, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 20,248 Great Britain of 1907 86,178 Switzerland Aug. 2, 1920 138,897 Great Britain May 10, 1921 

